I must admit that I had never heard of this combo from the fair city of Dublin until this debut release managed to slip its way past the bullshit detectors that surround URHQ and into our “potential” pile… it did help that came with a polite, nicely-typed covering letter: hell, they even got the umlauts in the right place!

According to said accompanying missive, HC draw their influences from the likes of Machine Head, Trivium and Sylosis: I can also hear natural comparators from closer to home, as they combine the density and aggression of Primordial, the groove and grunt of Dead Label and the pure riffing power of the late, lamented Triggerman.

Billed as an EP, it’s six tracks heave in at a might half an hour of hefty, meaty metal. Lulling us into a false sense security with the acoustic intro to ‘Nether’, the trio soon lay down their marker, as Jordan McCormac’s opening riff mercilessly crushes into oblivion, backed up by his brother (?) Alex’s big, beefy bass thrum and Mike Sheahan’s intense percussion. The latter is extremely impressive, another exemplar as to the rich pool the island of Ireland as a whole in terms of amazing drummers: there’s definitely something in the way they’re bred in ‘ere wee corner of the Überverse, as everywhere you turn there seems to be another one emerging and upping the game.

Indeed, the album as a whole is further evidence as to the chaos being created on this side of the shuck in terms of the sheer quality of the metal bands which have emerged from the bogs and back alleys in recent years, and continue to do so in increasing numbers, showing that us Irish metallians, from both sides of the border, can stand toe to toe with any other part of the world and probably outclass it terms of the number of impactful acts pro rata to population…

Anyway, back to Humanity Check… for a debut offering, this self-titled opus is confident and strident, rammed to every last second with strong performances, both in terms of the musical delivery and the songs on show. The band obviously share a bond tighter than a rusted nut, and there is a dynamism to the production that draws out the many nuances, especially in terms of Jordan’s rich and vibrant guitar work, that lurk just below the surface of the initial pummelling which the album delivers in terms of the sheer ferocity and passion it portrays.

Which leaves me with only one thing to say, and it’s addressed directly to the three lads responsible for this magnificent slice of metal: hurry up and get yer arses up to Belfast so you can melt our faces off with this massive noise. Oh, you've already that sorted, you say? The Warzone Centre on the 16th of this month, you say? With Snowblind, Scimitar, Wardomized and Horrenda? Thrash In The North, it's called? OK then...